CD review: Francesco Chiapperini – Transmigration – 2023: Video, CD cover

This album by bass clarinetist, saxophonist, flutist and composer Francesco Chiapperini is both a leader and an entirely original recording.

It seemed to me that the release of this disc should be viewed not from some narrow stylistic perspective, but in a general cultural context. The composer wrote this composition for music boxes using a serial technique.

What can I say about this project? First of all, it’s just very interesting. Of course, any listener will listen to the play with every special care. It is difficult to give an unambiguous definition of this, of course, very interesting music. In my opinion, it belongs equally to jazz and modern academicism. Very unusual sonorism: main solos instruments.

Francesco Chiapperini is a very experienced musician who has played many styles of music, not just jazz. But in his own projects he prefers jazz.

This team was chosen in a rather unique way. Francesco Chiapperini joins drummer Stefano Grasso. This is actually a rhythm group, with Simone Quatrana’s piano playing in the series.

The nine tracks on the album give a good idea of Francesco Chiapperini as a talent (in my opinion undeniable) and his style of music (very modern mainstream with a slight bias towards the avant-garde) and the teamwork of the cast; The line-up in the above form gives the brass players ample scope to showcase solo exploits, and they make the most of it. The almost complete horn section of the band did its job well.

The low, floating voice of Francesco Chiapperini’s bass clarinet harmonizes perfectly with the other musicians in the compositions’ melancholy and beautiful themes. And I consider plays with funny titles to be the best in terms of dynamics and richness of colors.

I think Transmigration is one of my best productions for a number of reasons. First of all, I like the idea of writing for large ensembles: I find it stimulating and very challenging at the same time. Secondly, I wanted to give to my trio – WE3 – a wider configuration, to explore how the spirit of our trio could change and expand in a big ensemble. So I decided to gather around me, Luca Pissavini and Stefano Grasso (WE3) the most representative free jazz musicians – in my view – of the Milanese scene. Today I’m working on a second album for the same ensemble I used for Transmigration work, which however will have a more electric and more improvisational flavor: the idea is to let the music be created freely, starting from the small harmonic, melodic and rhythmic structures that I’m writing… Like any other Project, I believe that the human component plays the fundamental role for the success of an idea. The musicians who have played in Transmigration are people with whom I usually collaborate with. The feeling and the understanding I have with them remain the main factor of choice. Plus, besides being wonderful people, they’re fantastic musicians. Finally, there is an “additional musician”, Luigi Naro, founder of the record label “Splasc(H) Records” who is one of the people who made this work great,- an interview with me said Francesco Chiapperini.

We recommend that you definitely own this CD and enjoy it.

1.Riding Roading 7:44
2.Sliding Sneakers 9:32
3.Kirkhoffs Wave 7:22
4.Slave Rebellion 7:10
5.Js Layer 5:33
6.Rising At East 10:58
7.Obsidian 8:32

Francesco Chiapperini – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, flute
Andrea Ciceri – alto & soprano saxophones
Daniele Cavallanti – tenor saxophone
Vito Emanuele Galante – trumpet
Mario Mariotti – cornet
Alberto Zanini – electric guitar
Simone Quatrana – piano
Luca Pissavini – double bass
Stefano Grasso – drums

Buy from here – New CD 2023